If you build it, they will come. That’s what the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) hopes: if alternative fuels are readily available on connected highways and interstates, more people will use “clean” personal and commercial vehicles. The FHWA literally said so in its Winter 2018 publication, Refueling America: “For stakeholders waiting for alternative fuel vehicles to evolve from automotive novelties to ubiquitous commercial and passenger vehicles, a common refrain echoes out over the miles and miles of highways without adequate fueling stations: If you build it, they will come.”

Not sure about the difference between a freight broker and a 3PL (third-party logistics) provider? You’re not alone—and the transportation industry doesn’t make it any easier by using the two terms interchangeably. Plus, there are a lot of similarities between the two. Both freight brokers and 3PLs act as intermediaries between shippers and carriers, arranging deals between the manufacturers who need shipping and the carriers who will transport the goods. They make sure both parties communicate efficiently, and that they both get their needs met. Both freight broker and 3PLs are valuable logistics partners who can:

You can’t manage what you don’t measure. That saying is popular in business circles for good reason: It’s true. It’s especially true when you need to measure a component that directly affects your products, your customers, and your bottom line—like your carrier. That said, it’s easy to skip the measurement step, especially if you’re comfortable with your carriers, don’t have the time or resources to keep track of measurements, or don’t know what to measure. But you do need to understand how your carrier affects your business, so we’d like to offer these tips to help you evaluate your carrier experience.

A good freight broker can solve your shipping dilemmas, save you money, and help your business run smoother. But how do you know if you’re working with the right one? And if you are, how can you make that relationship long-lasting, productive, and lucrative? The tips below can help you to get the most out of your freight broker:

You’ve probably heard the good news regarding cargo security. Law enforcement is cracking down on thieves, with good results: Last month the New Jersey State Police busted a $1 million cargo theft ring and the month before, the California Highway Patrol Cargo Theft Interdiction Program arrested a Los Angeles-based crew suspected of stealing more than a million dollars. Local police forces in California like the Tulare County Sheriff’s Ag Crimes Task Force are teaming up with growers and produces to combat agricultural theft—and it’s working. And cargo theft across the board dropped 15% in 2017, according to Cargo theft recording firm SensiGuard.